


maoz tzur

by afrocurl



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern: Still Have Powers, Hanukkah, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2019-02-15 06:25:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13025148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afrocurl/pseuds/afrocurl
Summary: Charles worried too much about meeting Erik's kids for their first Hanukkah together.Raven just happened to watch it transpire.





	maoz tzur

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bikenesmith](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bikenesmith/gifts).



Raven walked in to see Charles’ personal office littered with papers, his laptop open but not to his usual Word document, and one large yellow book open to one page.

“Tell me you’re not freaking out about Hanukkah?” she asked.

Charles just looked up, his clothes wrinkled and his posture worse than it should be in his wheelchair for this time of day. “I--” he started.

“Yeah, you’re freaking out. You don’t even need to.” 

Charles grabbed for the yellow book, “But I don’t know anything about Hanukkah and this book is shit.”

“Did you think to ask Erik?”

“He thinks I know already,” Charles replied sheepishly.

“Why are you like this?” Raven said, but left him alone to his own misery. It served him right to try and be the best at everything when he wasn’t. Hanukkah wasn’t supposed to be a big deal, but Raven knew Erik wanted to make sure his kids felt they had something wholly different from Christmas.

Raven had just wanted to ask about plans for this weekend, and rather than deal with Charles’ mania about the holiday, she went to her room and thought about what this all meant to him.

In their time as kids, Raven and Charles had few opportunities to meet anyone Jewish, so the idea of the holiday was abstract to the two of them.

Raven didn’t mind so much, but with how head over heels Charles was for Erik, it was bound to change. 

Despite the two of them dating for two years, it was the first time that Charles was going to spend time with Erik at Hanukkah. All three of Erik’s kids had finally moved into Erik’s house, and it had been harder on Charles than he wanted to admit.

Raven just hung her head at all of this from Charles and went back to looking for something to do tonight while he went back to being overly worried.

-

That Charles had been obsessed with learning about Hanukkah wasn’t a sign that anything was truly wrong with his relationship with Erik, but Raven read body language as well as anyone else, and Charles was nervous.

Even if Charles could have easily asked Erik for an easy information dump about the holiday with Charles’ telepathy, Charles hated to ask for something like that.

Charles - Raven hated to admit - was just happy to have silent conversations with everyone than do more.

But now she just watched as Charles freaked out about how to help celebrate Hanukkah with all of Erik’s kids.

Kids that Raven still hadn’t met.

-

“Charles, I want to join in on the first night of Hanukkah,” she said just as Charles was getting everything ready to go to Erik’s house.

Charles still looked nervous, tired and irritated.

“Can you not, Raven? I feel like I’m going to ruin this - with Magda gone now - and I’m trying to do my best.”

“You know this isn’t meant to be a major holiday? It’s just like this because of Christmas.”

“Yes, I did read all of _Judaism for Dummies_ , but it matters to Lorna, Pietro and Wanda. They want to light the menorah and celebrate a great miracle.”

Raven sighed, but left it alone. “I still want to come, and shouldn't I meet the kids too? Aren’t I going to be Auntie soon enough?”

Charles didn’t move much, but that was enough of a tell. This was serious for he and Erik, especially if the kids were meeting Charles.

Charles and Raven were a package deal, Erik knew. His kids should too, right?

“This is serious and I still haven’t met them. Shouldn’t we just get it out of the way together?” Charles’ brow furrowed, but he looked off in the distance - as if he were trying to ask Erik from all the way across town - before he said anything.

-

In the end, Raven won the battle with Charles and Hanukkah, following him into a taxi so they could get to Erik’s in time for sunset, lighting the hanukkiah and eating all the greasy food possible.

Charles’ nervousness hadn’t died down since he agreed to let Raven attend, and it was almost sweet how this had wound him up, if not for the fact that as a result, he let his emotions leak.

“Calm down; you’re leaking. I doubt Erik’s kids want to know that their daddy’s boyfriend is scared of screwing up tonight.”

“Not helping, Raven,” Charles said, digging one set of nails into his opposing arm.

“Just relax. I’m sure Erik’s kids will love you. You’re universally liked by everyone.”

Maybe that was the problem? Raven couldn’t but wonder if Charles was afraid that kids wouldn’t like him while everyone else did.

Keeping that as quiet as possible, Raven let Charles alone for the rest of the ride.

-

Raven was surprised to see that Erik’s apartment was one of the few with an elevator, but no door man. It was a nice normal sort of place in New York City, but perhaps that was for the kids’ benefit.

Or maybe it had to do with Erik’s power to know when someone was entering or exiting a building.

She wasn’t going to press the issue, and wanted to watch as Charles maneuvered all of this.

Erik opened the door, in a tee and black sweater. “Oh I’m glad you’re here. The kids are getting restless.”

“It took a few extra minutes,” Raven said, wanting to ignore Charles’ nerves or her needling to get here. She was already sure that Erik knew she was a surprise addition to dinner.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine. I haven’t started on the latkes yet, so we’re good.”

“Sounds great,” Charles said, stilted - just a little bit - and Raven looked over Charles’ head around the hallway. It was filled with a few family photos high on the walls, but looked like it was spartan otherwise.

“Come in, the kids are excited to show off their shirts, too.” Erik let the door open all the way and then started to walk back in, letting Charles and Raven follow. When Raven was fully into the apartment, the door closed slowly. 

“Lorna’s been practicing.” Erik looked proud at that when Raven saw him - and all his kids - in matching shirts.

“She’s very good,” Charles said. “Most kids don’t manifest that soon.”

“I was born this way,” Raven said, morphing into her natural skin, after wearing her “let’s blend in” look before.

“Oooh,” an older girl with brown hair said. “I’m still trying to figure out mine.” 

“Me too!” said Erik’s son.

“Wanda’s a little tricky, but we’re working as best we can. Pietro just wants to run around.”

“That sounds like everyone else,” Charles said. “Don’t worry, you’ll get there.”

“Did you struggle when you were our age?” Wanda asked Charles.

“I did.” He looked at Raven and she nodded for confirmation.

All three kids smiled at that, and Charles looked less like he wanted to throw up for talking to them. 

“So, who picked out all of your shirts today?” he asked.

-

Erik was so busy with the food that he didn’t have time for Charles, but that left Raven to watch Charles and Lorna, Pietro and Wanda play. The three kids were happy to talk about the hanukkiah, the miracle and even played a few games of dreidel.

For all that Charles was nervous, it didn’t show as he was engrossed with the kids.

“You did this on purpose?” she asked Erik, who had a platter of latkes in one hand, some sour cream and applesauce floating in some bowls.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Just don’t tell Charles. He wants to win the kids over without your help. He never wants help.”

“And that’s why this happened. His pride stays intact and I’m not there to force the kids to like him.”

“I should have known I’d like you.” Raven gave Erik a smile and let him walk into the room more fully.

“Latkes are done!” Erik called and the room erupted into chaos for all the food to share.

**Author's Note:**

> My beta is a rockstar! This wouldn't be what it is without them.
> 
> Title is from a hanukkah song, which is sometimes known as Rock of Ages.


End file.
